sees； one of those curious experiments in spontaneous generation； as
it is called； which have been so often instituted of late years； and
by none more thoroughly than by that eminent American student of
nature （Professor Jeffries Wyman） whose process he had imitated with
a result like his。
We got talking over these matters among us the next morning at the
breakfast…table。
We must agree they couldn't stand six hours' boiling；I said。
Good for the Pope of Rome！exclaimed the Master。
The Landlady drew back with a certain expression of dismay in her
countenance。 She hoped he did n't want the Pope to make any more
converts in this country。 She had heard a sermon only last Sabbath；
and the minister had made it out； she thought； as plain as could be；
that the Pope was the Man of Sin and that the Church of Rome was
Well； there was very strong names applied to her in Scripture。
What was good for the Pope was good for your minister； too； my dear
madam；said the Master。 Good for everybody that is afraid of what
people call 〃science。〃 If it should prove that dead things come to
life of themselves； it would be awkward； you know； because then
somebody will get up and say if one dead thing made itself alive
another might； and so perhaps the earth peopled itself without any
help。 Possibly the difficulty wouldn't be so great as many people
suppose。 We might perhaps find room for a Creator after all； as we
do now； though we see a little brown seed grow till it sucks up the
juices of half an acre of ground； apparently all by its own inherent
power。 That does not stagger us； I am not sure that it would if Mr。
Crosses or Mr。 Weekes's acarus should show himself all of a sudden；
as they said he did； in certain mineral mixtures acted on by
electricity。
The Landlady was off soundings； and looking vacant enough by this
time。
The Master turned to me。…Don't think too much of the result of our
one experiment。 It means something； because it confirms those other
experiments of which it was a copy； but we must remember that a
hundred negatives don't settle such a question。 Life does get into
the world somehow。 You don't suppose Adam had the cutaneous
unpleasantness politely called psora； do you？
Hardly；I answered。…He must have been a walking hospital if he
carried all the maladies about him which have plagued his
descendants。
Well； then； how did the little beast which is peculiar to that
special complaint intrude himself into the Order of Things？ You
don't suppose there was a special act of creation for the express
purpose of bestowing that little wretch on humanity； do you？
I thought； on the whole； I would n't answer that question。
You and I are at work on the same problem； said the Young
Astronomer to the Master。…I have looked into a microscope now and
then； and I have seen that perpetual dancing about of minute atoms in
a fluid； which you call molecular motion。 Just so； when I look
through my telescope I see the star…dust whirling about in the
infinite expanse of ether； or if I do not see its motion； I know that
it is only on account of its immeasurable distance。 Matter and
motion everywhere； void and rest nowhere。 You ask why your restless
microscopic atoms may not come together and become self…conscious and
self…moving organisms。 I ask why my telescopic star…dust may not
come together and grow and organize into habitable worlds；the
ripened fruit on the branches of the tree Yggdrasil； if I may borrow
from our friend the Poet's province。 It frightens people； though； to
hear the suggestion that worlds shape themselves from star…mist。 It
does not trouble them at all to see the watery spheres that round
themselves into being out of the vapors floating over us； they are
nothing but raindrops。 But if a planet can grow as a rain…drop
grows； why then It was a great comfort to these timid folk when
Lord Rosse's telescope resolved certain nebula into star…clusters。
Sir John Herschel would have told them that this made little
difference in accounting for the formation of worlds by aggregation；
but at any rate it was a comfort to them。
These people have always been afraid of the astronomers；said the
Master。 They were shy； you know； of the Copernican system； for a
long while； well they might be with an oubliette waiting for them if
they ventured to think that the earth moved round the sun。 Science
settled that point finally for them； at length； and then it was all
right；when there was no use in disputing the fact any longer。 By
and by geology began turning up fossils that told extraordinary
stories about the duration of life upon our planet。 What subterfuges
were not used to get rid of their evidence！ Think of a man seeing
the fossilized skeleton of an animal split out of a quarry； his teeth
worn down by mastication； and the remains of food still visible in
his interior； and； in order to get rid of a piece of evidence
contrary to the traditions he holds to； seriously maintaining that
this skeleton never belonged to a living creature； but was created
with just these appearances； a make…believe； a sham； a Barnum's…
mermaid contrivance to amuse its Creator and impose upon his
intelligent children！ And now people talk about geological epochs
and hundreds of millions of years in the planet's history as calmly
as if they were discussing the age of their deceased great…
grandmothers。 Ten or a dozen years ago people said Sh！ Sh！ if you
ventured to meddle with any question supposed to involve a doubt of
the generally accepted Hebrew traditions。 To…day such questions are
recognized as perfectly fair subjects for general conversation； not
in the basement story； perhaps； or among the rank and file of the
curbstone congregations； but among intelligent and educated persons。
You may preach about them in your pulpit； you may lecture about them；
you may talk about them with the first sensible…looking person you
happen to meet； you may write magazine articles about them； and the
editor need not expect to receive remonstrances from angry
subscribers and withdrawals of subscriptions； as he would have been
sure to not a great many years ago。 Why； you may go to a tea…party
where the clergyman's wife shows her best cap and his daughters
display their shining ringlets； and you will hear the company
discussing the Darwinian theory of the origin of the human race as if
it were as harmless a question as that of the lineage of a spinster's
lapdog。 You may see a fine lady who is as particular in her
genuflections as any Buddhist or Mahometan saint in his
manifestations of reverence； who will talk over the anthropoid ape；
the supposed founder of the family to which we belong； and even go
back with you to the acephalous mollusk； first cousin to the clams
and mussels； whose rudimental spine was the hinted prophecy of
humanity； all this time never dreaming； apparently； that what she
takes for a matter of curious speculation involves the whole future
of human progress and destiny。
I can't help thinking that if we had talked as freely as we can and
do now in the days of the first boarder at this table；I mean the
one who introduced it to the public；it would have sounded a good
deal more aggressively than it does now。 The old Master got rather
warm in talking； perhaps the consciousness of having a number of
listeners had something to do with it。
This whole business is an open question；he said；and there is no
use in saying； 〃Hush！ don't talk about such things！ 〃People do talk
about 'em everywhere； and if they don't talk about 'em they think
about 'em； and that is worse；if there is anything bad about such
questions； that is。 If for the Fall of man； science comes to
substitute the RISE of man； sir； it means the utter disintegration of
all the spiritual pessimisms which have been like a spasm in the
heart and a cramp in the intellect of men for so many centuries。 And
yet who dares to say that it is not a perfectly legitimate and proper
question to be discussed； without the slightest regard to the fears
or the threats of Pope or prelate？
Sir； I believe；the Master rose from his chair as he spoke； and said
in a deep and solemn tone； but without any declamatory vehemence；
sir； I believe that we are at this moment in what will be recognized
not many centuries hence as one of the late watches in the night of
the dark ages。 There is a twilight ray； beyond question。 We know
something of the universe； a very little； and； strangely enough； we
know most of what is farthest from us。 We have weighed the planets
and analyzed the flames of thesun and stars。 We predict their
movements as if they were machines we ourselves had made and
regulated。 We know a good deal about the earth on which we live。
But the study of man has been so completely subjected to our
preconceived opinions； that we have got to begin all over again。 We
have studied anthropology through theology； we have now to begin the
study of theology through anthropology。 Until we have exhausted the
human element in every form of belief； and that can only be done by
what we may call comparative spiritual anatomy； we cannot begin to
deal with the alleged extra…human elem